Running Away From The World
by soThenMegansaid
Summary: Dom knew that keeping Raylen from knowing that he was watching out for her would be hard. But what would be harder would be keeping her from knowing that there are people after her. People that want her and her brother dead.
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

Raylen drove south on Interstate 5 heading toward Los Angeles. She was returning from her visit to San Francisco where she had spent a week with her parents. The top to her 2002 Corvette was down and the wind was wiping through her hair. A smile was spread across her lips. She loved driving on the interstate. The high speed and potentially dangerous situations gave her a rise. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as her small car passed by an eighteen-wheeler. The road was filled with cars full of families heading back home after a long day at the beach, eighteen-wheelers trying to get to their destinations, and teens just out joy riding. An F-150 full of teenage boys sped past her. Raylen rolled her eyes at the boys' attempt to get attention.

"Idiots," she mumbled, speeding up.

With ease, she sped past the truck. She made sure to wave before leaving them to stare at the back of her beauty.

Raylen sighed as she saw a sign that stated 112 miles to Los Angeles. As she passed the exit to Bakersfield, CA she turned on the radio. The sound of the wind rushing past her was starting to drive her crazy. She needed something to sing to.

She turned the radio to a random station and smiled. "I Miss You" by blink-182 was playing. Raylen bobbed her head slightly as she pressed the accelerator.

_Hello there, the angel from my nightmare  
__The shadow in the background of the moor  
__The unsuspecting victim of darkness in the valley  
__We can live like Jack and Sally if we want  
__Where you can always find me  
__And we'll have Halloween on Christmas  
__And in the night we'll wish this never ends  
__We'll wish this never ends_

_Miss you  
__Miss you_

_Where are you?  
__And I'm so sorry  
__I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight  
__I need somebody and always  
__This sick, strange darkness comes creeping on  
__So haunting every time  
__And as I stare I counted  
__Webs from all the spiders  
__Catching things and eating their insides  
__Like indecision to call you  
__And hear your voice of treason  
__Will you come home and stop this pain tonight?  
__Stop this pain tonight  
_

_Don't waste your time on me  
__You're already the voice inside my head  
__(Miss you, miss you)  
__Don't waste your time on me  
__You're already the voice inside my..._

"Watch it, ass hole," Raylen screamed as a yellow Nissan Skyline cut her off. She glanced over at the Explorer next to her and saw a little girl staring at her with wide eyes. No doubt, she had heard her foul language. Raylen blushed and sped up. She could still feel the little girl's eyes on her.

She allowed herself to laugh once she was away from the Explorer. However, her laughter didn't last long. The Skyline came into her line of sight and her blood pressure rose dramatically.

"Ass hole," she mumbled pressing the accelerator down.

Traffic was beginning to become denser, but she managed to keep the car in her sight. The Skyline was a couple of cars in front of her and she was going to pass it and make sure the guy knew that she was pissed off.

"You're road rage is going to get you one of these days," her mother had warned her in the past. Raylen merely blew if off. She didn't have road rage, she just got pissed off when people didn't know how to drive.

The Skyline was one car in front of her. Raylen checked the lane to the left on her and passed over into it. She managed to pull up to next to the Skyline. She glanced over at the driver and her breath caught in her throat. All thinking ceased. The only thought she had was, 'woah.' The honking of cars brought her mental capabilities back to her. Raylen then remembered what the driver had done and glared at him. There was a curious look on him face. She turned her blinker on and cut in front of the Skyline, cutting him off just as he had done to her. A glance at the rear view mirror revealed that the driver was laughing.

'_He thinks it's a game,'_ she thought, bewildered.

Raylen shook her head and looked at her gas gage. She had a little over a quarter of a tank. The exit to Arvin was coming up, so Raylen switched lanes. To her surprise so did the Skyline.

'_He's not following you,'_ she told herself, sternly.

However, she wouldn't mind if he did. He was definitely a sexy beast. His emerald eyes had drawn her attention. The toothpick that hung loosely from his mouth strangely made him even more attractive. Raylen shook her head and took the exit to Arvin. A small smile flew onto her lips when she saw that he too had taken the exit.

She pulled into an Exxon and parked her car at the pump. The Skyline pulled into the pup behind her. Raylen smiled as she slid her credit car through the 'pay at the pump' thing.

"Nice car," she heard the man call out.

Raylen slipped her card it her back pocket and began to fill her gas tank up.

"Thanks," she replied.

"We seem to like the same color," he said, referring to the fact that both of their cars were yellow.

Raylen smiled. "That or you copied me." 

The man leaned against the back of her car and this action allowed Raylen to get a good look at him. He was over six feet tall and had the most gorgeous body she had ever seen. It took all over her self-control to remain impassive. He had on jeans that fit him very well and a blue jersey. A toothpick was trapped between his lips. Raylen yearned to take the toothpick from him and put it in her mouth. She clenched her jaw and turned the pump.

"So where ya headed?" he asked.

His voice sent chills down her spine. She had never had a reaction like this to a man.

"LA," she said before her brain had a chance to stop her.

'_Hello!'_ her mind screamed. _'Possible stalker/psycho-path here and you're giving him information about yourself. What is wrong with you?!'_

A small blush arose in her cheeks and she looked down at her red flip-flops. She was wearing a short suede mini-skirt on with a sleeveless shirt that had a cherry on it. Her long brown hair was pulled into a messy bun that sat atop of her head. The only jewelry she wore was her mother's engagement ring on her right ring finger.

"You?" she asked.

"LA."

Raylen nodded. _'Kind of creepy.'_

He wasn't creepy, exactly. It was his actions that were creepy. Raylen pulled the nozzle out of her car once the gas tank was filled up.

"So, uh... why'd you cut me off earlier?" he asked with a smile across his face.

Raylen cocked her hip and placed her hand on the top of her car.

"Cut you off? You cut me off first," she said with a little anger seeping into her voice.

"I did what?" he said with a look that said _'I don't believe you.'_

"Oh don't play dumb with me. You went flying past me in the left lane and cut me off as you passed into the lane I was in."

"I don't remember doing that," he stated.

Raylen rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said as she turned to get into her car.

The man cut her by the arm and turned her around.

"The name is Leon."

Raylen looked at his out, which was outstretched.

"That's nice," she said looking at his hand.

Oh how she wanted to feel his hands on her hips. The thought of him touching her made her temperature rise by several degrees.

Leon raised an eyebrow as Raylen got her in her car and pulled off. He ran to his and fired it up. Within seconds he was right behind her. He was going to find out her name one way or another.


	2. Chapter Two

****

**Chapter Two**

Raylen smiled once again as she pulled out onto the interstate. Leon was right behind her.

'_If he's going to follow me, I at least have to make it hard to keep up with me.'_

She pressed the accelerator down and switched lanes. She flew past several cars before cutting back into the lane she was in previously. The six lane highway was a playground to her. A glimpse of Leon's car appeared in her rear view mirror. Quickly she pulled into the number one lane and flew past a Honda Civic. The driver honked his horn, but Raylen ignored it. Leon wasn't far behind her. Mentally she knew what she was doing was dangerous, but that didn't stop her. Up ahead, she saw a state trooper park along the side of the road. She slowed down to where she was under the speed limit and laughed as Leon flew past her. He gave her a smug smile that said, _'I beat you.'_

The trooper's lights turned on as Leon drove past him. Raylen smiled and waved as she passed Leon, who had pulled off the side of the road. She waited till she was further down the road until she pulled off. She didn't know exactly why she was pulling off, but part of her wanted to make sure that she saw Leon again.

She waited several minutes until Leon drove past her. The state trooper stayed where he was. Raylen turned on her blinker and pulled onto the road. Leon was now driving at the speed limit.

'_Thank you,'_ he mouthed sarcastically as she pulled up next to him. They continued to drive down the road, staying side-by-side most of the time.

Once they were inside the city limits, Leon motioned for Raylen to follow him. Her gut was telling her not to, but her heart was singing a different tune. She clenched her jaw as she followed Leon through downtown LA. By this point she had already put the top back on her Corvette.

Leon led her to a quaint little restaurant near the neighborhood of Echo Park. The name _Toretto's_ was written across the top of the building.

"What is this place?" Raylen asked Leon as she stepped out of her car.

"It's a place that a friend of mine owns."

Raylen nodded and walked with Leon into the restaurant. It was around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. There was a brunette girl at the counter wiping it down.

"Hey, Mia," Leon said.

Mia looked up and smiled. "Hey Le."

She eyed Raylen wearily. It wasn't a suspicious look, it was just cautious.

"Mia, this is..." Leon turned to Raylen and looked at her.

"Raylen," she said with a smile. She stuck her hand out for Mia to shake. "Raylen Sanders."

"Now why couldn't you have told me that when I asked you?" Leon asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Wouldn't have been as much fun," she said with a smile.

Mia laughed. "So how did you two meet?"

Raylen sat down on the stool in front of her and laughed. "He cut me off."

"I told you that I didn't do that," Leon said sitting down next to her.

She turned to argue but Mia's question stopped her.

"When was this?" Mia asked as she played with the dishrag in her hand.

"Uh, a couple of hours ago." Raylen brushed some stray hairs out her eyes.

"You work fast, Leon," a man said as he walked out of the backroom.

Raylen scrunched up her nose at the man for a second before realizing that he maybe able to see her reaction. It wasn't that the man wasn't attractive it was just that his hair was in disarray and he had sweat and oil all on him. Mia smiled and turned around.

"The rest of the team around, Vince?" she asked the man.

Vince looked over Raylen before looking at Mia. "Yeah, they should becoming in at any second."

As soon as Vince said that everyone walked in. Each person looked over her before going back to doing what he or she was originally doing.

"Guys," Mia said, "This is Raylen, a friend of Leon's. Raylen, this is Vince, Dom, Jesse, and Letty."

They all said hello.

"That your car?" Jesse asked, pointing to the Corvette.

Raylen nodded.

"Nice."

"I think it's ugly," Letty snorted before grabbing a Corona.

Raylen smiled. "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, I guess."

Letty shrugged and walked over next to Dom. It was if she was marking her territory. Raylen nodded in understanding. Letty relaxed and offered her drink to Dom. Dom shook his head no.

"So, Raylen..." Dom said, capturing her attention.

Raylen found Dom very attractive but knew nothing would happen between them. He was clearly with Letty and she didn't want to upset what they had. There was an unspoken pact between her and Letty. _'You don't mess with my man, and I won't mess with yours.'_ Not that she was claiming Leon as hers already, it was just for _future reference_.

"What brings you to LA?" he asked.

Raylen tried not to smile as she answered. "I live here."

Dom nodded. Mia hid her smile from the rest of the group. It was apparent that he was interrogating her. For what reasons, Raylen was unsure of, but the rest of the team knew why. They didn't want another O'Connor incident.


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: **Please forgive the spacing, was acting really screwy when I uploaded this earlier. This is probably the fourth time I've tried to update this story and each time the font gets all out of wack. So plese forgive the weird spacing. Thanks in advance!

**

* * *

**

**Chapter Three**

Forty-five grueling minutes later, Raylen was sure that she was at the end of the interrogation. But she was proven wrong when Dom opened his mouth to ask yet another question.

Raylen had to refrain from rolling her eyes. Her eyes felt as if they were going to close at any minute and her whole butt was numb and had been for the last fifteen minutes. She resituated herself on the stool causing her butt to tingle a bit and looked Dom in the eyes. Her eyes held a look of banality.

"What are you doing tonight?"

This question caused the whole restaurant to go silent. All eyes were on her, except for Letty's. Her eyes were filled with irritation and placed firmly on Dom. Raylen was at a loss for words. She glanced around the room and found that the other members of the team were as shocked as she was. When turned back to Dom, he gave her a look that said, _I'm waiting._

"I...uh..."

She swallowed a couple of times and looked at Leon. He was staring at Dom and annoyance was written all over his face. Raylen didn't know how to answer the question. She didn't want to make Letty or anybody else mad by saying nothing and making herself appear available, but then again if she were to say that she had plans, she might anger Dom.

_Surely he did this on purpose, _she told herself. _Maybe this is just a test._

"Um..."

She felt like an idiot just standing there. Sweat was starting to form around her temples.

_Just answer the damn question, _she yelled mentally.

"I'm not sure," she replied after a bit.

She glanced at Leon, whose expression hadn't changed much. He looked at her and she smiled briefly. Leon's features seemed to soften up a bit and he stepped towards her. Mia walked around from the counter and crossed her arms across her chest. It was apparent that she didn't like whatever Dom was doing, but then again no one was exactly sure _what _he was doing.

"That's good," Dom said and began to walk towards the back of the office.

Raylen gave a questioning look at Leon, who shrugged in return. Within seconds, Letty was at Dom's heels, but stopped following him when he turned back around and faced Leon.

"Take her with us tonight," he said. His deep voice reverberated off of the walls of the restaurant.

Leon nodded and wrapped an arm around Raylen. She looked at his hand before stepping out of his embrace. He quirked an eyebrow at her. Raylen shook her head and began to walk off to her car, with Leon hot on her heels.

Dom turned around and headed into the office, making sure that the door shut after Letty entered the room.

Vince was the first one to break the silence that seemed to be never ending.

"Well, that was certainly different," he said as he moved over to the stool that Raylen had been sitting in earlier.

Mia nodded and walked back to behind the counter. The sound of Letty and Dom arguing in the office floated out into the main part of the restaurant. Mia was glad that there weren't any customers at the present time. Jesse sat down in the stool next to Vince and said, "Why does he want Raylen to go with us? I mean, Leon hardly knows her."

"None of us know her," Vince said, correcting Jesse.

Mia sighed and picked up the old blue dish rag that she had been holding earlier. "I don't know."

"It just doesn't make sense," Jesse continued.

"Since when does anything Dom does make sense?" Mia asked as she picked at the edge of the rag.

"True."

* * *

"Yo, Raylen, what's up?" Leon said, following her out to her car. 

Raylen spun on her heel and faced Leon. She did it so fast that Leon almost ran into her and knocked her over.

"What's up is the fact that I was just interrogated for almost an hour and then commanded to go with you and your posse to something that I don't even know about."

Leon ran a hand through his short brown hair and responded with, "I know that it doesn't seem fair, but..."

"You don't actually expect me to go with you tonight, do you?" she asked with anger seeping into her voice.

"Well, I was kind of hoping..."

"Leon, I don't know those people. I don't even know you! And yet you expect me to go with you to some shindig..."

"A street race," Leon said, correcting her.

A blank look crossed her face and it seemed that she had lost all capability to talk. Leon didn't know whether to be alarmed at her sudden changing in attitude or to laugh. Raylen snapped out of her daze quickly and glared at Leon.

"A street race?" she asked. The way she said it, made it seem as if street races were just a myth.

Leon nodded and placed his hands in the back of his faded denim jeans. The sun was bearing down upon the two people and a small layer of sweat was forming on them. He took a step back and leaned on his Skyline. Raylen merely shook her head before running a hand down the side of her face.

"Why on earth would I want to go to a street race?" Raylen asked.

Leon shrugged. "I don't know."

"Why would he want me to go to a street race? It's not like I know anything about cars. I know how to drive them and that's about it. Hell, I can't even change a flat tire, and yet he wants me to go to a _street race_?"

Leon tried to refrain from smiling, but failed miserably.

"That's the way it appears."

"Dom is a very strange man. A very strange, bald man at that."

Leon's smile grew bigger. "I won't argue with you about that."

Raylen stepped closer to Leon and peered into his eyes. "Do you really want me to go?" she asked.

Leon placed a hand on her hip and stood up to where there were only a few inches between them. "Yeah, I would like you to go."

Raylen placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him. She wasn't exactly sure as to why she was going to say yes. The only reason that actually made sense was that she wanted to make sure that she would be able to see Leon again, but that reason didn't even make total sense. Questions bounced off the walls of her brain as if there was a ping-pong match going on inside. Just when she thought that she was beginning to make sense out of everything, a new question would pop up and send everything into disarray again. Raylen let out a small frustrated whimper and laid her head upon Leon's well-built chest.

"I'll go," she muttered, unsure of whether or not he would be able to hear her.

"You will?" he asked. Raylen thought that she heard a hint of happiness in his voice, but she quickly dismissed the thought.

"Yeah."

"Well, that's good. Why don't you meet me up here at nine-thirty?"

Raylen nodded and stepped away from Leon. She was very perplexed.

"That'll work."

Leon grinned and placed a small kiss on her cheek. "I'll see ya at nine-thirty."

"Yeah, see ya," she responded slowly as she walked toward the driver's side of her car.

Raylen glided into her car and sat in the driver's seat for a moment mystified. Nothing made sense anymore. She had just agreed to go to a street race with a man who she didn't know all because another man she didn't know commanded her to.

_What's happening to me? _she asked herself. _I used to be the one who wouldn't listen to anybody, and now I'm obeying some bald overly muscular man who I've never met before today..._

Raylen shook her head and started up her car. The radio began to blare and she reached over to turn the music down, but not too far that she couldn't hear the words. "Blood Red Summer" by Coheed and Cambria was playing. The words floated through her mind as she back out of _Toretto's _parking lot.

_Faint white fingers paint my sleep   
Please don't tell my secrets keep them hidden   
(You got it)   
If the words that matter reach your face from floor   
Will you be wondering if, or_

_(Do I need what is given or honest)   
Does it cost me scarring if the words stay true?   
Even number your nephew   
(I don't want it anymore)_

_And when the answer that you want   
Is in the question that you state   
Come what may   
Come what may_

_And when the answer that you want   
Is in the question that you state   
Come what may   
Come what may_

_In a pain that buckles out your knees   
Could you stop this if I plead?   
(You got it)   
So destined I am to walk among the dark   
A child in keeping secrets from   
(Will they know what I've done in the after)   
In the sought for matter when the words blame you   
In a blood red summer I'll give you   
(I don't want it)_

_And when the answer that you want   
Is in the question that you state   
Come what may   
Come what may _

And when the answer that you want   
Is in the question that you state   
Come what may   
Come what may

_What did I do to deserve this?_

The words didn't really make sense to her, but then again nothing did anymore. It was almost as if those forty-five minutes of interrogation had stripped her of every moral she had and were replaced with ones that were so very foreign.

_What's gotten into me? _she asked herself a thousand times and each time no reply came.

* * *

"Just what the hell was that?" Letty asked as Dom took his seat at the small desk in the office. 

No response came to her to question. Dom was very clearly ignoring her. He shuffled the various invoices that he had picked up and began to analyze the information that they held.

"Oh real mature, Dominic," Letty hissed. "What are you up to? Run out of skanks lately? Decide that you need more of a selection than that at the races?"

Silence.

"Dom, just answer my damn question. What's with inviting Raylen to the race? You don't even know her!"

Dom laid the invoices down on the desk and slowly faced Letty. Fury filled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer.

"Do you know who her brother is?" he asked slowly.

Letty stared at Dom as if he had gone mad. "Do I know...of course I don't know. She never told us who her brother was. Why does it matter?"

"Raylen's brother just happens to be Pierce Sanders, the best street race in New York."

A blank look floated onto Letty's face and stayed there for a very long time. "This is all about her...brother?"

Dom nodded. Letty threw her hands up in the air and emitted a frustrated growl. "This is madness. Sometimes you make no sense, whatsoever. Do you realize how egotistical this is? You keep that girl around so that you can become buddy-buddy with _her brother?! _Dom what the hell is wrong with you, do you have no sense of right or wrong? I mean I can be pig headed sometimes...hell I can even be down right a bitch, but even I know that what you are doing is wrong."

He shook his head before running a hand over it. "That's not what I'm doing..."

"Well, please enlighten me, because I am clueless."

Dom opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly thereafter.

"You just wouldn't understand," he replied.

Letty glared at Dom before spinning on her heels and storming out of the office.

"Wouldn't understand my ass," she mumbled before brushing past a bewildered Mia. Letty could feel Vince and Jesse's eyes on her as well as Mia as she jumped into her car and sped off.

One way or another, she would find out what Dom was hiding, even if it would kill her in the process.

* * *

Dom ran a hand over his head before picking up the off-white cordless phone that lay haphazardly on the desk. He fingers flew over the buttons as they had done dozens of times before. 

"Hey, is Pierce there? Yeah, I'll wait...Hey, Pierce. This is Dom...Yeah, I'm doing good, man. I just wanted to let ya know that your sister is here. She just got back from your parents' house...Uh huh...Don't worry man, she's in good hands. I'll make sure that they don't get to her...You're welcome. See ya in a couple of weeks...Bye."

Dom sat the phone down on the cradle before placing his head in his hands. No doubt that keeping Raylen from knowing that he was watching out for her would be hard. But what would be harder would be keeping her from knowing that there were people after her. People that wanted her and her brother _dead_.

* * *

Raylen pulled up to her two-story house and climbed out of her car. It had been a very long day and her bed was not only calling her name, it was screaming it. She walked through her front yard and up to the front door. It took several attempts, but she was finally able to get her front door open. As she entered, she threw her keys onto the coffee table that sat in the center of the living room. The sound of the door closing filled the once empty house. A sigh escaped her lips as she began to realize that she didn't enjoy coming home to an empty house. Part of her yearned to be with somebody, while the other part feared it. Bad things always seemed to happen to her when she was in relationships. 

Raylen stepped further into the living room and peered around. The room was painted baby blue with a sea shell border at the very top. The couches, end tables, and the coffee table were white. Shells of all sizes were places almost at random throughout the room. Several black and white pictures were lined up on the hearth, which was also white, in no certain order. The pictures ranged from those of her and her brother to those of her with her parents. Each photo however held a special place in her heart. She glanced over them, but only one caught her eye. It was one of her and her brother. Pierce was holding her up in the air and she was laughing so hard that you could see tears streaming down her cheeks. That picture had been taken the day that he had left for New York, one of the worst and best days of her life. Worst because she was losing her brother, her best friend in the whole world. Best because that was the day that she had gotten her beauty, a present from Pierce. Every time that she got into the car, she was taken back to the day that he had taught her how to drive a stick. It was quite possibly the best day of her life.

Pierce was five years older that Raylen, which would make him twenty-six. It had been hard having him thousands of miles away, but it slowly became easier for Pierce called her every night to check up on and to make sure that his little sis was doing okay.

Raylen collapsed onto the couch and closed her eyes. Instantly, she fell asleep. Her body was drained from the day that she had had and she needed sleep if she was going to get through the street race. Raylen snuggled closer into couch and began to dream about things that were less complicated than her life at the present moment. Things like Leon.

The sound of a phone ringing drew Raylen quickly from her dreams. Her hands rose up and landed on the end table before searching blindly for the ringing aggravation. Finally, her hand found the phone and pulled it from its cradle. A look at the Caller I.D. told her that it was a New York number.

"Hello?" she said into the phone. Her eyes were laden with sleep. A glance at the clock told her that it was eight-thirty. She had been asleep for five hours but it seemed like only an hour. Her body begged her to go back to sleep and she was sure that it showed clearly in her voice.

"Hey, sis," Pierce screamed into the phone.

Raylen screwed her eyes shut and pulled the phone away from her ear. The distant sound of music filled the phone. She was sure that Pierce was at some hip New York club, no doubt partying it up. That was just the type of people he hung out with. Partiers twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No matter what.

"What's up, Pierce?" she asked as she stood up from the couch, stretching in the process.

"Nothing much," he replied. "Just hanging out at a club with a bunch of friends."

Raylen heard a girl giggle in the background and then Pierce whispered something to her. She rolled her eyes and pulled her hair down from the pony tail that it was trapped in. Her hair tumbled down onto her hair.

"Got company?" she asked, a smirk working its way onto her face.

Pierce chuckled. "You know it."

Raylen sighed and walked toward the stairs that let to the second story. "What am I going to do with you? No telling how many hearts you've broken in the past two years you've been there."

Another chuckled answered Raylen's question immediately. The laugh was code for _many._

"One of these days, you're going to be single and alone and all I'm going to say is told ya so."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. So, I take it that you make it back to LA in one piece."

Raylen padded her way upstairs to her room. She shut the door behind her and walked into her bathroom.

"Yeppers, no problems whatsoever."

She intentionally left out the part about meeting Leon because Pierce was extremely overprotective. If she were to barely mention him, Pierce would want to know Leon's name, rank, and serial number on the spot. No joke.

"Well, that's good. I have to admit I was a little worried about you," he replied. There was something in his voice that hinted that there was a deeper meaning, but Raylen dismissed it.

"You're always a little worried," Raylen retorted, laughing a bit.

"I know, but that's because LA is just such a bad place, and..."

"Like New York is better? Listen Pierce, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself, and not to be mean or anything but it's not like there's anything you could do if something were to go wrong. Mom and Dad are closer than you are; they would be here _a lot _faster than you, so stop worrying. I'm going to be okay."

Raylen could hear Pierce sighed. She imagined him standing in the back alley of the club, leaning on the wall. He was probably running a hand through his hair and down to his neck.

"I know, sis. I just get a little crazy sometimes," he replied. He sounded miserable.

She leaned over and turned on the water for a shower before walking back out into her room.

"Pierce is there something you're not telling me?" she asked. It was her turn to be worried. The whole phone conversation was just weird. There was something up, but she wasn't exactly sure what it was. The only thing that she could be sure about, and she was unsure of how she knew it, was that it involved her. Someway, somehow, it involved her.

"Nothing's wrong, sis. Now who's being the worry wart?"

"Pierson Brice Sanders, I swear that if you're lying to me that I'll..."

"You'll what? Fly out to New York and beat me up?" He laughed, whole heartedly. "I'd like to see that."

"Be careful what you wish for," she said with a small giggle.

The mood of the conversation seemed to lighten.

"Well, bro," she said after a moment or two. "I hate to kick ya off the phone, but I've got plans for tonight and I need to start getting ready."

"Oh, really? Do these plans involve, maybe...a guy?"

Raylen rolled her eyes and began to walk back and forth in front of the large mirror that sat on her dresser.

"No, silly, it involves a girl."

Silence.

Raylen clamped her mouth shut and tried as hard as she could not to laugh, but failed horribly.

"I'm just joking with ya. It involves a guy."

Pierce let out a sigh of relief. "Well that's good to know. Anyways, I'll let ya go. I'll see ya in a couple weeks when I come down, okay?"

"All right. Love ya, Pierce."

"Love you too, Raylen."

Raylen turned off the phone and threw it onto her bed, which was decorated in a jungle design. Her whole room in fact, was done in a jungle design. The walls were painted a light beige color with a border running across the walls in the center. Below the border, the walls were painted a dark brown. The border itself had zebras, cheetahs, and elephants painted on them. Her bedding and curtains had the same design on them.

She turned around and walked over to her closet. As she opened the two doors that led into the closet, her eyes peered over the articles of clothing that were hung up neatly.

_What should I wear? _she asked herself.

After a little while, she finally narrowed it down to two outfits. The first one was a tan colored mini-skirt that had slits up an inch above the bottom of the skirt with a hot pink satin lace-trim camisole and tan heels that were the same color as the skirt. The second one was a little more conservative. It consisted of a pair of low rise faded jeans that always fit just right and a low cut white satin lace-light pink trim camisole. A pair of white high heels were to accompany the outfit.

Raylen growled in frustration and decided to just wait on picking the outfit and ask Mia when Leon took her over to his place. She hoped that Mia lived near Leon. It would certainly make things a lot easier.

As she walked toward the bathroom, Raylen could feel butterflies running amuck in her stomach. She begged them to calm down as she entered the bathroom.

_Just don't do anything stupid, _she told herself before stripping off her clothes to get in the shower.

* * *

Raylen pulled up to _Toretto's _and waited patiently for Leon to appear. After several minutes passed and there was no sign of Leon, she locked her car and leaned her chair back a bit. Within seconds, her eyes were closed and she felt herself slipping into a deep sleep. 

The sound of someone knocking on her window jolted her awake, and caused her heart to top out at one hundred and twenty miles per hour. Raylen glared at the person who knocked on her window, but slowly her features softened. She unlocked and opened her door and smiled up at Leon. He was wearing loose fitting jeans with a white wife beater and a dark denim jacket over that. His hair was neatly tucked under a black beanie and a toothpick idly sat between his lips.

He glanced curiously at her choice of outfit. Forgetting what she had on, Raylen looked down quickly only to smile brightly. She was wearing a pair of black jogging pants and a white wife beater with a pair of tennis shoes.

"I didn't know what to wear. So, I threw on something comfortable and then brought the two outfits that I couldn't pick from to ask Mia about them."

Leon nodded and waited until she grabbed her bag from the car. She shut the door and locked it before following Leon to his car.

"You know," he said wrapping an arm around her, "I can always help you pick."

Raylen shook her head no. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Oh really?"

Raylen shook her head yes and leaned forward. Leon stopped next to car and looked down at her.

"Well, I like surprises," he drawled out before taking the toothpick from his mouth and placing a soft kiss upon her lips.


	4. Chapter Four

**Running Away From the World  
**_Chapter Four_

"We're here," Leon stated as he pulled up to a white two-story house with several cars parked in the driveway.

"All of you guys live in one house," Raylen asked, wondering how exactly seven or more people could possibly live in a house that size.

"Yeah."

By Leon's response, Raylen was sure that it was possible. How exactly, she wasn't sure.

The two of them climbed out of the car and headed toward the front door. Raylen twisted the bag anxiously in her hands. She was hoping that Mia would be able to help her big time. Never before has she been _this _nervous. No, that was a lie. She had been this nervous before, but that was only once. And she never wanted to go through that again. Let alone talk about it. Raylen shook her head, hoping to rid it of the thoughts of her past.

Butterflies felt as if they were performing _The Nutcracker_ on her stomach. Her fingers began to tap an unknown rhythm on the bag as they neared the door. Leon opened it slowly and gestured for her to go in first. Raylen took a deep breath and nodded.

As she entered, she saw almost everyone from the team sprawled out in the spacious living room. The house seemed a lot bigger now that she was inside. Raylen's eyes scanned the room's occupants in search of Mia. When she did not see her, her heart dropped to her toes.

_How am I going to do this? _her mind screamed.

"Oh hey, Raylen," Mia said as she began to walk down the stairs that were straight in front of Raylen.

A huge smile crossed Raylen's face as she ran up the stairs to get to Mia. Raylen could feel Leon's eyes on her, but decided to ignore him for the present moment. There would be plenty of time later for them to talk.

"I need your help," Raylen whispered, looking at Mia anxiously.

Mia nodded her and a sense of seriousness seemed to pass over them both.

"Let's go to my room," she responded as she took Raylen's hand.

Raylen looked over her shoulder back at Leon and mouthed the words, _I'll be right back_, to him. Leon nodded before he walked into the living room.

Once inside the safe haven of Mia's room, Mia turned to Raylen and said, "What's wrong?"

A blush crept upon her cheeks slowly before answering. "It may not seem like anything big, but I don't know what to wear."

Mia let out a hearty laugh. "Girl, you had me thinking someone was out to kill you with the tone you were using."

The blushed deepened on Raylen's cheeks.

"Don't be embarrassed, I would freak out too if I were going out with Leon," Mia said with a soft smile.

"I'm not…dating him or anything. We're just going as...as…well…I guess…" Raylen was really unsure of what she and Leon were. She liked Leon, and she was sure that he liked her, but then again there was that small little fact that they had only known each other for a day.

"Friends?" Mia asked. The tone of her voice said that she didn't believe it.

Raylen ran a hand through her hair and placed the bag on Mia's bed.

"Don't worry…we'll find something…"

"I sure hope so," Raylen replied before she began to nibble on her thumb nail.

* * *

Leon plopped down on the couch next to Vince and sighed.

"That Raylen?" Vince asked.

Leon nodded. "She's getting Mia's help on what to wear."

"They better figure it out fast; we're pulling out in fifteen."

The boys sat around watching TV until finally they heard Mia's door open and two pairs of footsteps heading down the stairs. Mia was the first to appear and Leon found himself becoming a little nervous. The feeling was foreign to him, he had always been able to keep his cool around women, but today was totally different. Raylen was different from the skanks that he was use to being around. She had more spunk in her and certainly knew how to light up a room. When Raylen finally appeared on the stairs, he couldn't help but stand up and walk over to her. Everything inside of him told him to go up to her, touch her, make sure she was real. At that moment in time Leon had more passion for Raylen after knowing her for one day than someone who he had dated for over a year.

"You look gorgeous," he whispered into her ear once she reached the bottom of the stairs.

His eyes scanned over her outfit and his body began to ache for her. She wear wearing a tan mini-skirt that had slits up an inch above the bottom of the skirt with a low cut white satin lace-light pink trim camisole and white high heels. Her hair was pulled up into a low pony tail and wisps of hair framed her face. The dark mascara and light eye shadow she was wearing accented her brown eyes.

"Come on, lover boy," Dom called out as the team started to head out of the house.

Leon chuckled before taking Raylen's hand. It took nearly all of his self-control to just lead her to the car. All of his male urges were begging for him to do something entirely different. Once they were tucked safely in the car, Leon grabbed Raylen and smashed his lips against hers.

Raylen couldn't help but laugh when Vince honked his horn at Leon. He was blocking in everyone and no one could get out of the driveway.

"I think we better get going," she whispered to Leon, who merely nodded and started up the car.

* * *

Pierce turned off his phone and slipped it in his back pocket.

"What was that about, sweetie?" Reagan said as she wrapped an arm around his waist.

Reagan was Pierce's girlfriend of almost a year. She was about five feet seven inches and had long brown hair that reached down to her shoulder blades. Pierce turned around and placed a kiss on Reagan's lips.

"Just talking to my sister," he replied.

Reagan frowned and mentally noted that Pierce seemed a little distracted.

"You tell her yet?"

Pierce shook his head no. A look of anger flashed onto her face.

"Pierce, you need to tell her. What happens when she's attacked? She's going to come to you for answers, and I have a feeling that she won't be happy."

He ran a hand through his short brown hair and sighed deeply.

"I have a guy out there watching her. Every move she makes, I know about. She'll be fine."

Reagan rolled her eyes.

"You hired a baby-sitter?"

"No, not a baby-sitter. I hired a guy to keep an eye on her, but he is, under no circumstances, allowed to tell her that I hired him."

"If I were Raylen, I would be very pissed."

Pierce smiled and wrapped his arms around Reagan's waist. "That's why I'm glad you are not her."

The sound of music floated out into the alleyway. They were standing outside the club _1707_,an underground club that only the elite street racers and their crews knew about. The two of them turned their attention to the back exit of club. Kyra, a friend of theirs and roommate, stumbled out of the club and wrenched her head around to scan the alleyway.

"Pierce, there you are!" she said as she spotted Pierce and Reagan. Kyra sounded a little distressed.

"What is it?" Pierce replied, letting go of Reagan, who was also concerned.

"It's Jarrett. He-he's here and he wants to see you."

Pierce let out a string of obscenities before kicking the side of the building.

"I thought you told him that you would have to money next week, Pierce," Reagan said as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

Pierce began to pace back and forth in the small alleyway. "I did. The son-of-a-bitch is early. Damn it!"

"You need to tell your sister before this gets out of hand. If he's this eager to get the money there's no telling how soon it'll be before he's after Raylen. I have a feeling that even though we're paying him to stay away from her, that he's going to go after her. She's gotten away from him once; he won't let her get away from him again."

Pierce ran a shaky hand through his hair before looking over at Kyra. "How'd he find us here? How in the hell did he get in?"

Kyra shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I was at the bar and the next thing I know, he's buying me a drink telling me that he needs to see you."

"Oh man, this is fucked up. He's probably got guys tracking us," Reagan said. She began looking around the alley for signs that there was someone else around.

"Reagan, calm down. I'll settle this all right, baby," Pierce said as he put his hands on her cheeks. Kyra stood next to them chewing on her thumb nail.

"Pierce, I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

He placed a kiss on Reagan's lips before facing Kyra. "Look, I want you to take Reagan back to the house. You two have to stay there. I'll talk to Jarrett and find out what he wants. Once I've done that, I'll go home and we can figure out what to do next."

"No. I won't do it. I won't leave you with that bastard," Reagan spat out.

"Reagan, please, do this for me."

Reagan nodded her head after a while and followed Kyra out to Regan's car, a Toyota Celica. Pierce watched the two girls walk out of the alleyway before he turned around and headed into _1707_.

* * *

As Leon's Skyline neared the warehouse where everyone met up before the race, Raylen felt butterflies begin to dance in her stomach. Unlike what she had told Leon, Raylen was accustomed to races. She used to be a racer herself, but that was before she ran away. Ran away from the man of her nightmares. The nervousness displayed across her features was not from her _new-ness _to the scene. It was from the uncertainty that a certain someone would be there. _He_ had found her before, and this time she knew would be no exception. It was only a matter of time before _he _found her and that thought alone made Raylen sick to her stomach.

"First race?" Leon asked. He had a slight smile on his face as he watched, from the corner of his eye, Raylen shift in her seat.

"Yeah, it that obvious?" she asked. A slight pang floated through Raylen. She felt bad for lying to him, but when she was in the shower she decided that telling Leon about _him _was probably not the best option. _I'll keep quiet for a little while_, she told herself.

"Just a little," he replied.

The team was setting up in the V formation. Raylen gave Leon a curious look.

"It's just something we do. A bit of tradition," he explained.

Raylen nodded her head before staring out the passenger's window. The scene reminded her much of the one in Memphis, Tennessee, where she had previously lived. The only difference was that in Memphis, there were no teams, you were all by yourself.

Leon lifted his hand up and laid in down on Raylen's thigh.

"Don't be nervous," he said, sending chills down her spine. "We're here to have fun, all right?"

Leon could definitely tell that Raylen wasn't new to the race scene. She didn't have to type of reaction toward the races as many new-comers did. Her eyes weren't all glossed over like he had seen many people's do. There was something else that she was hiding. It kind of hurt that she wouldn't tell him what was bothering her, but then again they had only known each other for one day, which really freaked Leon out. He wasn't used to caring this much about people. If Raylen had been a skank, then wouldn't give a damn about why she was nervous.

Leon brought his car to a stop right behind Dom's RX-7. He opened his door and climbed out. Raylen did the same thing before coming to stand at his side. Leon wrapped an arm protectively around her as he noticed several racers and racer-wanna-bes eyeing her.

"I feel like I'm at a zoo, and I'm the main attraction," Raylen whispered to Leon, also noticing the many eyes on her.

"Just stick close to me, and you won't have to worry about a thing," Leon said to her before placing a kiss on her lips. Raylen melted into his side and he couldn't help but think how right it felt to have her by his side.

"How we goin' to do this?" Hector said as he approached Dom.

"5 G buy in, winner takes all, like always," Dom said.

Leon's attention snapped away from Dom and toward Raylen when he felt her tense up.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing that she wasn't looking at him but at someone in the crowd. Someone that he couldn't quite see, but apparently she had a clear view of.

"It-It's nothing. I just thought I…"

"Raylen, what's wrong?" Leon asked again. Her eyes never moved from the spot in the crowd.

"Can we just go sit in the car? I'm not feeling too good all of a sudden." Raylen moved her eyes suddenly from the spot in the crowd up to Leon's eyes. There was a sense of pleading written all over her and Leon became alarmed.

"Yeah, we can do that," he said as he guided her back to the Skyline.

Vince and Dom gave him questioning glances, but all Leon could do was shrug his shoulders. He had no idea why Raylen's demeanor had changed so suddenly. The only thing that he could think of was that she saw someone that she didn't want to.

Leon opened the passenger's side door and helped her inside. He then jogged around to the driver's side and climbed in. Once in side, he found her in a fetal position.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

He moved closer to Raylen and managed to get her to look at him. Her eyes were slightly red and she was shaking.

"I'm fine, really," she replied.

"You're lying."

Raylen sighed deeply and laid her head on the door.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"'Bout what?"

Silence.

Leon reached over and brushed a wisp out of Raylen's eyes. She looked up at him and gave him a slight smile.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," he said after a while.

"No, you need to know," she said, taking a hold of his hand.

Leon looked her in the eye and became a little nervous. _What could have her _this_ upset? _he asked himself. Raylen straightened up in her seat and sighed.

"I was in a long term relationship about three or four years ago. At that time I was living in Memphis, TN and dating a guy by the name of Jarrett. You see what I didn't know was that Jarrett was a major part of the cocaine scene. Once I found out, Jarrett seemed to change. He became angrier until he finally became violent. At first it was just breaking stuff in the house. He threw vases and candles, but he would never hit me. One night, he came home, coked out of his mind and just started beating the shit out of me. I was in ICU for four months at least. When I woke up, my brother Pierce was there and he managed to get me out of Memphis. He wouldn't tell me where we were going because in part he didn't even know. Pierce's main goal was to keep me away from Jarrett. We got here and Pierce lived with me for a little while before leaving for New York. He's a racer up there now… But the reason why I flipped out earlier is because I think Jarrett's found me. I'm almost positive that I saw one of his goons in the crowd tonight."

"Why didn't you tell me then? I could have gone after him."

"That's why I didn't tell you. This is my battle to fight, Leon. Jarrett's after me and I won't let you get hurt trying to defend me."

Leon clenched his jaw. He could tell that trying to help Raylen was going to be a hard thing to do.

"You can't do it alone, Raylen," he pointed out.

"I've made it this far," Raylen whispered.

Leon pulled Raylen into his arms the best he could. "And now you have help. Let me help you, Raylen."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Leon. I'm not sure that you understand the seriousness of this. He managed to put me in ICU for _four _months. If he gets his goons after you, no telling what'll happen. I've probably already put you in danger. Jarrett will stop at nothing to get me back because in his sick and twisted mind he still loves me."

Leon ran a hand down her face and placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "I'm not going to let you fight this on your own. I may not know you all that well, but I know that I want to get to know you and because of that, I'm not going anywhere. You've got me whether you like it or not."

Raylen sighed. Leon smiled knowing that he had won. He then glanced up and saw that everybody was heading toward their cars.

"We best get going," he said softly. Raylen nodded and moved over to her seat. Leon started up the car and headed out to the designated street where the race was to be held. The ride over there was silent. Both occupants were trapped deep inside their thoughts.

* * *

Pierce took a deep breath as he entered _1707. _His eyes scanned the club and within seconds, he found Jarrett.

"Thought I told you next week," Pierce said as he sat next to Jarrett at the bar.

"What can I say? I just couldn't wait," Jarrett replied smoothly before he took another sip of his Bacardi and Coke.

"This is bullshit, and you know it."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. That temper of yours is going to be a problem, Pierson."

"Pierce," he replied between clenched teeth.

Jarrett waved him off before taking another sip. "Thirty thou by tomorrow."

"You're upping the price now?" Pierce asked. His temper began to flare out of control.

Jarrett whipped around and glared at Pierce.

"Don't loose your temper with me, little boy. At the time of our deal, your sister was single. She is currently seeing someone, so therefore I feel as though I have the right to up the price and due date. Got any problems with that?"

Pierce shook his head, knowing that if he were to open his mouth that he would do something that he would regret.

"Tomorrow at 10 a.m., I want you to go to Central Park and wait for me by the main entrance. Once I get there, we'll settle all the minor little details."

Jarrett was about to walk off when a thought struck Pierce. He whipped around and yelled at Jarrett, "How do you know she's got a boyfriend?"

The chatter in the club died and everyone was looking at the two men. Jarrett turned around slowly and walked up to Pierce.

"I have to make sure that you're good on your part of the deal," he said, menacingly.

Pierce glared at him. "The deal was I pay you to leave my sister alone. I've already given you fifteen thousand, and you'll get your thirty tomorrow, so why with the bullshit? You're not going to leave her alone after this are you?"

Jarrett let out a sickening laugh and placed his hand on Pierce's shoulder.

"Stay out of my business. I'll honor my part of the deal as long as you honor yours," he said, accenting each word with a tight squeeze on Pierce's shoulder. Pain shot throughout Pierce's body, but he managed to keep his features from showing it.

"10 a.m.," Jarrett called over his shoulder as he walked out of _1707. _

Pierce muttered a phrase of curses before turning to the bartender.

"Anything," he mumbled.

The bartender nodded and grabbed a shot glass before filling it with some mysterious liquid. Pierce swallowed the liquid and then slammed the shot glass down. He stormed out of _1707_, leaving several people behind him asking questions.

Pierce walked out to his RX-8 and unlocked the door. He slipped into the car before firing it up and heading toward the apartment that he shared with Reagan and Kyra. _How the hell am I going to explain this to them? _he asked himself the whole ride over to the apartment.


	5. Chapter Five

**Running Away From the World**  
_Chapter Five_

Raylen climbed shakily out of Leon's Skyline and peered out at her surroundings. Part of her was taking in all the sights and sounds of the LA scene and comparing it to that of Memphis's. The other part, however, was looking for Jarrett's goons. They were all around undoubtedly. Jarrett was never one to loose something and not strive to get it back. In his sick little mind, she was his. End of story.

A shiver tore throughout her body, and she backed up against the Skyline. Leon sat in the driver's seat listening to the police scanners. There was a homicide over at Glendale and Park. Most of the police units that were around town were being dispatched to the scene.

The revving of engines let her know that the race was about to start. She stood up and took a step toward the road. Down it sat four cars with four drivers. She was sure that each driver was feeling something different at the present moment. Dom probably knew that he was going to win. It wasn't a probability. It was a fact.

Edwin was probably trying to convince himself that he was going to win _and _get Monica. Leon had filled her in on the couple's rocky past. It sure was an exciting one. The other two kids that were racing were probably nervous as hell. Raylen didn't blame them. If she were in their spot, she would have been nervous too.

She watched as Hector gained eye contact with each driver before dropping his hands, signaling that the race had started.

The cars took off from the starting line within seconds of him giving the signal. Dom was once again in the lead and keeping it. Edwin was a car length from Dom and the other two kids were neck in neck a car length and a half behind Edwin. Raylen shook her head and allowed a small smile to cross on her face. Dom crossed the finish line and pivoted his car around before returning back to the starting line. The race, to Raylen, had been somewhat exciting, but she couldn't help but think that it would have been better if Dom had actually had some competition.

_Maybe I should get Dom and Pierce to race_ _when he comes down, _she mused as she climbed back into Leon's car.

"So, it better than Memphis races?" he asked as he took his eyes off the scanner and looked at her. The smile on her face grew bigger.

"It was all right," she said with a slight laugh.

Leon chuckled and turned the volume up on the scanner when the dispatcher began to speak. "…a 147 at Cisco's Market on Junipero and Tchulahoma…"

"Havin' fun?"

He smiled and placed a hand on her leg. "Not really, but I will be at the after party."

Raylen blushed a bit for an unknown reason and turned her head to where she was looking out of the car. Her eyes scanned the crowd and stopped at a figure that was staring straight at her. Immediately, she noticed that he didn't look as if he belonged in the _racing scene_. He was too… Raylen never finished the thought. The scanner beside her began to blare as the dispatcher called upon all available units to check out suspected street racing at their current location.

Leon let out a string of obscenities as he dove for the walkie-talkie that was kept in the car for emergencies such as the ones they were facing.

"Yo, we got cops!" he screamed into it. "Get going. Fast!"

He then threw the walkie-talkie into the back and started up the car. Within seconds, he floored the gas and was pulling away from the street. Cops cars began to appear at intersections and Raylen watched as the Skyline's speedometer steadily rose.

A cop car appeared behind Leon's car as they pulled out onto another street. Raylen threw a look over at Leon, but he seemed to be in the zone. He took a left hand turn very sharply and pressed the gas down harder. There was very little traffic out at twelve o'clock and Raylen was very thankful. She pulled the harness on and fastened it. _Better be safe than sorry, _she told herself before a smile appeared on her face. It had been a while since she had to run from the cops and she certainly did miss the adrenaline rush. She relaxed into her seat and allowed herself to watch Leon's as he shifted gears with ease and further left the cop car in the dust.

She studied his profile for a while before Leon pulled the Skyline into the driveway of the Toretto household. Raylen took off the harness and slipped out of the car. As Leon began to walk into the house, she came up beside him and smiled. Leon noticed this and threw a questioning glance her way.

"I just had fun that's all," she replied to his unspoken question.

* * *

A deep sigh escaped Pierce's lips as he walked out of his four bedroom apartment. He held a leather suitcase by the handle and walked slowly over to the elevator door. A low ding floated throughout the room as the doors to the elevator opened and a few people stepped out from it. Pierce slipped past them with a nod and pushed the first floor button. The doors slid close and he once again found himself alone. 

Nervousness ran amuck throughout his body as he tightened his grip on the suitcase handle. The suitcase had three thousand Benjamins stacked neatly. 30 K was a lot of money even for him. _But it's all worth it, _he reminded himself as the door to the elevators slid open and he stepped out into the foyer. The clock above the main doors read nine forty, giving him twenty minutes to get to the designated meeting spot.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Pierce stepped up to the main entrance to Central Park. His fingers tensed up around the handle as his eyes scanned the surrounding area. No sign of Jarrett, but that didn't mean that he wasn't around or that his goons weren't watching. Another sigh fell from his lips as he waited for five minutes to roll around and the dreaded meeting to begin.

_It's all worth it. _

"Follow me," a man said into his ear just before passing him. Pierce glanced up and watched as Jarrett entered the park, not looking back to see if he was following him. Once the two men reached a secluded area, Jarrett turned around and motioned toward the bench next to him. "Lay it there."

"What's with the commands?" Pierce quipped as he sat the briefcase on the bench.

"Shut up."

He rolled his eyes and backed away from the bench. "My part of the deal is done. What about yours?"

Jarrett approached the bench and opened the briefcase, examining the money closely. Once he was satisfied that there was 30 K sitting in front of him, he closed the briefcase and handed it to a man who had appeared at his side. "Put it in the car."

The man nodded and disappeared within seconds. "Now, Pierce…"

He adjusted his shirt collar slightly and smiled at the man in front of him. "I will honor my part of the deal," he said as he reached behind him and pulled a 9mm out, "once your sister is dead."

Pierce attempted to run away but Jarrett was too quick. He wrapped an arm around his neck before hitting him in the head with the butt of the gun. Pierce's body crumpled to the ground, unconscious. Jarrett made a tsk-tsk noise as he wiped the blood off his gun with a rag.

"What do you want us to do with him?" one of Jarrett's goons asked.

"Leave him here."

"Are you-"

"I said leave him," he replied, his voice raised slightly. "Now, I need a ticket to LA immediately, and tell Stefan to make sure Raylen is single when I get there."

"Will do," the goon said before walking off. Jarrett kicked Pierce in the side as he said, "Asshole."

* * *

**A/N:** Real short, I know and I'm sorry, but I haven't updated in forever and I wanted to get this out tonight. I love you guys! 

x scorchingreality


End file.
